Tulsa World: The 14 percent mandate

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The 14 percent mandate
Job doesn't end with locking up molesters, Second Amendment

By WAYNE GREENE Editorial Writer
Published: 11/15/2009 2:25 AM
Last Modified: 11/15/2009 4:34 AM

Scene: Dec. 7, inside City Hall

"Thank you all for coming to our first staff meeting. I want to say I think the inauguration went well and we're off to a good start. Let's begin by going through the promises we made during the campaign to make sure we're staying on track. First, have we released any child molesters in city parks today?"

"No, sir."

"I know it wasn't specific in the commercial, but I want to go broader than that. I think we should go ahead and not release any child molesters anywhere in the city."

"I think we can manage that, sir."

"Let's put a memo out to that effect. I want every city employee to know I mean business on this."

"Yes, sir.... As it turns out, the mayor doesn't release any prisoners. So I think we're safe on that one."

"Good. Good. But I still want to see that memo. We're not going to fall down on this one. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"By the way, that Perkins guy did pretty good with the kids. Didn't he?"

"You could say that, but, remember, we won. That's all that counts." "Right. Right. But let's not let him get around our left flank. I was thinking this morning: This environmental thing is big with the kids. So, let's put that molester memo out as an e-mail, you know in addition to the usual paper copy — that's greener, you know."

"Good thinking, sir."

The none-of-the-above landslide: Like baseball, elections attract statistics. Here's the most telling number of the 2009 Tulsa mayor's election: 49. That's how many years it had been since Tulsa elected a mayor with fewer than 30,000 votes.

Only 29,948 Tulsans showed up Tuesday to check the box by Dewey Bartlett Jr.'s name.

The last time Jim Inhofe ran for mayor, he got 47,526 votes — and lost.

On the good side, the winner 49 years ago was James Maxwell, who went on to be one of Tulsa greatest mayors. I hope that proves true again.

On the bad side, Tulsa's population at the time was 261,685 — about two-thirds of what it is now.

There was a landslide in Tuesday's election, a landslide for none of the above. Overwhelmingly, Tulsa voters weren't able to find anyone they wanted to vote for.

Only 31 percent of the city's registered voters took part in Tuesday's election.

Bartlett got 45 percent of that vote. Do the math — 45 percent of 31 percent is a little less than 14 percent. That's our new mayor's mandate.

Anyone surprised?

The nasty, negative nature of the campaign's television advertising — by both major candidates — did nothing to further either candidate's cause, and less to further the cause of our city.

It was shameful.

Already faced with an enormous and growing city budget hole, rebelling public safety workers, a dysfunctional City Council and many other problems too numerous to mention here, Bartlett goes into office with another challenge of his own making.

It's a surprising challenge, because I've known Bartlett a long time and know him to be a good man and an issue-oriented leader. Still, his biggest challenge at this point is proving to the city that he's a bigger man than the election campaign revealed him to be.

Ten minutes later at City Hall: "It looks like we're staying up to date on all of our pledges from the campaign. No molesters released, check; I paid my taxes this morning, check; I called all the hospitals and we don't have any of that European-style health care creeping in on us. I haven't given any money to Barack Obama or Nancy Pelosi and I still am not a lawyer. It's all good. Anything else?"

"Not today, sir."

"Oh, yes, I remember. Guns. Did we take any guns away from Tulsans today."

"Not that I know of, sir."

"Well someone check on that. I want a daily report and an explanation anytime we take a gun away from anyone. I pledged to stand by the Second Amendment, and I'm going to do it."

"Sir, funny thing about that, but we've determined no one ever was taking guns away from Tulsans, except, you know, for criminals and so on. That's what the Second Amendment says: You couldn't do it, even if you wanted to." "Darned right, and we're going to make sure we don't do the things we can't do and that we said we weren't going to do. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"It's leadership like this that people are expecting of us. Now, anything else?"

"Yes, sir. One thing. This is the city budget. If you'll turn to page 13 ...."

Research assistance by Hilary Pittman.

Wayne Greene 581-8308, wayne.greene@tulsaworld.com, Read Wayne Greene's daily blog: www.tulsaworld.com/waynesworld By WAYNE GREENE Editorial Writer

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	Report Comment droopy, wagoner (11/15/2009 6:51:55 AM) I think Mr. Greene would make a good mayor, not.
	Report Comment Dr. Strangelove, Tulsa (11/15/2009 7:08:18 AM) Most old guard types like Bartlett think the same thing: They don't want everybody to vote. They just want the people that vote to vote. Think about it.
	Report Comment Webmeister, Tulsa (11/15/2009 7:49:43 AM) This editorial in comparing the Bartlett-Alelson election to the Inhofe-Maxwell election sort of overlooked: Mark Perkins garnered 18% of the vote last Tuesday.
	Report Comment billy8, Sand Springs (11/15/2009 9:28:59 AM) I think that everyone is just tired of the same old politicians getting elected over and over again. They run, we vote, and we get another name with the same agenda. How can we change that? Vote for someone you never heard of from a different party other than dem or rep. In ancient Greece, democracy was founded, in that system they didn't have elections, everbodies name went into a lottery, and everyone served at one time till the next lottery. It's pretty much the same today, except that those names in the lottery are the ones who can pay to get their names in the hat.
	Report Comment Corvetteguy, Tulsa (11/15/2009 10:39:55 AM) I think Webmeister is having quite a bit of trouble getting over the fact that he backed the guy who came in THIRD place.... 18% is still third place......two behind the winner. "Kind of losing", is still losing. It's like "kind of pregnant" is still pregnant. Let it go, Webmeieter. You tried,.... and you failed............let it go.
	Report Comment 2ndjoyce, BA (11/15/2009 10:46:16 AM) and many of the names in the hat are often just younger versions of old names.... old money ..uh, old something. Why am I commenting? I live in BA. Good luck, Tulsa!
	Report Comment Mar, Tulsa (11/15/2009 2:55:04 PM) Well, calloy, Jim Inhofe use to be mayor of Tulsa, I think 2 terms. If I remember correctly he was a very good mayor, kept the city running smoothly.
	Report Comment Corvetteguy, Tulsa (11/15/2009 3:25:19 PM) Mar, Senator Inhofe guided Tulsa thru the economic mess that President Carter inflicted on the nation. He tightened the purse strings, and kept Tulsa from running deficits. He had instituted hiring feezes, but no lay-offs. I remember those times well. A left-wing liberal President who's gift to the nation was 21% interest rates for borrowers, sky-high inflation, sky high taxes, gas station lines.....and 53 brave Americans held hostage in Iran for 444 days Mean while the Commander in Chief twiddled his thumbs. Then-Mayor Inhoff got us thru those dark days.
	Report Comment MomboCat, Harrah (11/15/2009 3:45:52 PM) Yeah, I dismember Mayor Inhofe. He forced a government takover of the trash hauling companies. He sold several acres of prime property on the west side of the river to his buddies. Talk about smooth running.
	Report Comment Corvetteguy, Tulsa (11/15/2009 4:04:53 PM) Whenever the Inhoff critics come out to spew some hateful remarks, I always chuckle a little.... and think of how long he's been winning political races. The US House of representaives, mutiple terms as Mayor of Tulsa multiple terms as a United States Senator from Oklahoma. funny, isn't it.......?.... he just keeps winning, and the critics never self-reflect...
	Report Comment Royce, Tulsa (11/15/2009 4:07:13 PM) I'm not surprised that the Democrats who contribute to this thread are critical of what they hold is the low voter turnout in our recent election. Democrats stand up and cheer when ACORN turns out from 125% to 200% of the registered voters in African American precincts, as they did last year for Al Franken and Barack Obama in Minnesota. I gotta admit, that's real democracy.
	Report Comment The Patriot, (11/16/2009 2:40:56 PM) It's a sad day when you go to the ballot box and have to vote for the candidate you think is the least incompetent of the choices. None of them had the integrity or qualifications for the position. Sad Sad day.

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